ROOTS
by goodeytwoshoes
Summary: Sequel to "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not". Cammie is back at Gallagher and it is clear that trips to Blackthorne will not be frequent in the future. Reconnecting with her sisters, Cammie discovers where she's from; she discovers her roots.
1. Chapter 1

This chapter is dedicated to Leapordeyes, because I thought her review was really sweet and understanding. Hope you enjoy:) I might be a little rusty, so please review and tell me what you think:)

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_Zach pulled me closer to his chest, and snuggled me into his muscular chest. "You're crazy," he whispered, shaking his head. He kissed my forehead. "But I love you."_

_I smiled and hugged Zach. Closing my eyes, I replied, "I love you, too."_

I sighed. That day in the hospital seemed so long ago. Ever since we returned from that mission, Solomon and my mom haven't let Zach and I see each other. Liz tried to hack into Blackthorne, but they had upped the security. We were even being forced to stay in an alternate living facility, because they knew Zach would be able to get into Gallagher; he always found a way to get to me. My mother gave a speech earlier in the week, saying we need to learn to reconnect with our sisters, but I couldn't forget Zach. I turned over in my cot and stared at the alarm clock, watching it change. 5:27, 5:28, 5:29,_ Ring! Ring!_ 5:30. I sighed again and got up. I sat in bed, just watching the scene before me unfold. Girls were dragging their feet to the bathrooms, slamming down on their alarm clocks, and sighing. Boys changed everything, and now that it was very clear that we weren't going to see them for a long time, no one even bothered to try. Of course, we still put on make up, but we didn't have the same excitement that we did when we were getting ourselves ready for the boys.

"Come on, Cam," Macey said, talking softer than usual. I got up and entered the bathroom, knowing this semester would not be as great as the last one was.

~ZC~

"Good morning, girls. I know this isn't exactly the semester we had in mind, but due to the events of last semester, I have decided that we need to remember our roots." My mom kept on talking as I picked at my breakfast.

"Cammie, it's okay," Liz assured me, reaching out to hold my hand.

"No it's not. **_She's_** the reason we can't see the Blackthorne Boys anymore. **_She's_** the reason we're stuck in this stupid facility. **_She's_** the reaso-"

"Shut up, Tina. None of the boys liked you anyways," Macey snapped, immediately shutting Tina up. Tina mumbled something and started stabbing at her eggs. I watched and sighed, remembering how Zach did that last semester.

"Come on, Cam. Just ignore her." Bex had been really supportive throughout all of this, but I could tell she was sad that she couldn't see Grant. But Grant was allowed to send her letters; they just had to be cleared with Dr. Steve first, which wasn't very difficult. I think the hard part for Grant was having to let someone else besides Bex read the letters. The boys probably tortured him to no end about it. But Grant's a tough cookie. Plus, Zach's on his side, and those arms aren't just nice things to look at, to touch, to feel the way you feel so protected when he wraps his arms around you.

"Snap out of it," Bex told me, putting my glass of orange juice to my face. The rush of coldness made me jump slightly.

"You're right. It's just..." I trailed off, not knowing how to explain and not really wanting to. Being without Zach left me numb in a way. I still was aware of what went on around me, but I didn't want to be a part of it. Most of the time, I could pretend everything was okay, but my friends knew I was hurting, and everyone around me knew it was my fault that we're in this situation.

Suddenly, Solomon's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Girls, as you know, this retreat is all about reconnecting. So we will be performing simple trust exercises, progressing to the more difficult missions."

"Retreat?" Tina interrupted (surprise surprise). "I thought we were going to be here all semester."

"No Ms. Walters. We will only be here for three weeks; however, I would like for all of you to make the most of your time here as possible. Try to branch out from your groups." He looked directly at Liz, Bex, Macey, and I when he said this. "You might discover you have more valuable allies than you thought. That is all." sat down and looked down. He was checking something on his phone, but I couldn't tell what. _Wait, since when does Mr. Solomon have a phone? _I thought. Phones can be tracked, and as a spy, he should know that.

My friends noticed me staring, and Bex whispered, "What are you thinking?" following my gaze back to Solomon.

I kept on staring at Solomon. Finally, I furrowed my eyebrows and muttered, "Nothing," but I kept my eyes on my CoveOps teacher. I wasn't going to make a big deal out of something that was most likely nothing. Not yet, at least. I looked back to my three friends and found them all staring me down, knowing that I was on to something. "I'll tell you later," I compromised. "Let's just get through the day first."

We all nodded in agreement (some quicker than others) and headed off to our classes. Bex and I still had CoveOps together, and Liz was still on the technological path. Macey, however, was in a world all her own. She began spending a lot of her time in the library, researching and digging up any information she could find. What type of information I have no idea. At first, I decided to let Macey be Macey. I figured she was having some sort of phase. But she was persistent in her library trips. Obviously, the library here wasn't as informative as the one back at Gallagher, but Macey is reading anything she can get her hands on. I decided to shake the thoughts from my head, because CoveOps required my full attention.

"Okay, ladies, today we will be focusing on trust. Get into partners and meet me outside." I immediately reached for Bex, but Mr. Solomon said, "Ms. Morgan, why don't you pair up with Ms. Walters?"

"Um, no thank you," I responded politely. I didn't want to disrespect Mr. Solomon, but I **_really_** did not want to work with Tina.

"Ms. Morgan, in the real world, you won't always be allowed to choose who you work with. Now please walk with Ms. Walters and join the rest of us outside." I sighed and walked to Tina.

"I don't enjoy this any more than you do Morgan," Tina said. As soon as we walked outside, we began with a simple exercise.

Mr. Solomon began, "Now, the objective is not to let your partner be compromised. I will give each pair an envelope containing their role. However, the positions of these teams will not be revealed. You must protect your partner by all costs. Understand?" Solomon began passing out envelopes.

We all said in a chorus, "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, put in your comms unit and spread out." We obeyed and wandered about campus. I remembered the writing in the envelope. Tina was after the Blackthorne alumni and I had to protect her.

"Aaahhh!" My head spun and looked back to see Tina on the ground. I ran over to her.

"Tina, what's wrong?" I frantically tried to check her. She was clutching her stomach, so I checked for any damage to the ribs, but I couldn't find anything. Soon, everyone rushed over.

Solomon bent down and asked her the same thing I had just minutes before.

"Cammie saw someone attacking and didn't defend me," she sniffled, clutching her stomach even harder. "She thought I had the real alumni list from Blackthorne and wanted to track down Zach. But I-"

"What?" I screamed. "I didn-"

"Ms. Morgan, please keep quiet. Ms. Walters, why don't you go down to the medical wing and let someone check you out? I'll deal with Ms. Morgan." Tina sniffled and nodded, attempting to get up slowly.

"You're one heck of an actor, you know that?" I whispered as she passed me. She slammed her shoulder into mine and just gave me a dirty look.

"Ow, Cammie!" she whimpered, holding her shoulder. Some students gasped, while others rolled their eyes.

"Come on, Ms. Walters, just hurry and get yourself checked out," Mr. Solomon said. Tina nodded again, clutching herself as if she had to hold herself together."Ms. Morgan, may I have a word with you?" I sighed and followed him as he walked into the building. "The rest of you ladies, spar for the time being.

"Mr. Solomon, I didn't d-"

"I know, Cammie." His face changed from serious teacher Solomon to the Solomon that tries to understand my situation. "I know you miss Mr. Goode, but your relationship endangers not only your lives, but the lives of the people that surround you." I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off. "Now I understand the mission you two went on last semester was for the safety of our best spies, but you need training right now. No matter how good you are now, you need to be better. It's the only thing that will keep you alive in this world."

"I know, but..." I trailed off. I didn't want to talk boys with Solomon. I didn't want to tell him how much I missed Zach, because he would just say it was for our own good. But I did it anyway. "I miss him so much."

Then Mr. Solomon did something that surprised me. He took me in his arms and hugged me. It felt like the hugs my dad would give me if he were here. I felt like just standing there and crying. "I know," he whispered, rubbing my back soothingly. "But it's for the best." _Called it_ I internally chuckled.

"I know, but I just wish.. I wish it could be different," I said against his chest. "I just want to.." I sighed. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just being stupid. I just-"

"Cameron Anne Morgan, you are not stupid," he said strongly. I looked up at him and saw something in his eyes. Love? He sighed. "Head on to your next class. I'll send a note to your mother to change classes earlier."

"Thank you," I whispered. I could see that he knew I was very fragile right now. Mr. Solomon just smiled and told me it was no problem. I went on to my next class and tried to endure. I knew I would have to do a lot of talking once the school day was over.


	2. Chapter 2

gallaghergirlheart, you should really get a fanfic account so I can reply to your reviews! you always say the sweetest things!

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"So Solomon really did that?" Liz whispered. We were all in that big room again, and Macey, Liz, Bex, and I were all gathered around my cot. "If I knew he was going to be that nice I might have stayed in CoveOps." We all shot her a "Yeah, right" look. "Well I said 'might have.'" she mumbled.

"Whatever. So why were you staring at Solomon at breakfast?" Macey asked, quickly dismissing Liz. "You definitely didn't just develop a crush on him overnight. And you just told us you were starting to accept him as your dad, so-"

"I am **_not_** accepting him as my dad," I snapped. Yes, Solomon had been nice to me earlier today, and yes it felt like a moment I could've had with my dad if he was alive, but I can't just pretend Solomon is my new dad. No one could take the place of my dad.

"Okay, well just tell us what you were thinking about this morning," Bex said quietly, glaring at Macey at the same time.

"It's nothing you guys," I sighed. "I just saw Solomon checking something on his phone." I didn't say anything else, because I wanted to see if anyone else realized the oddness of the event.

"What do you think he was checking?" Liz asked.

"It's not what he was checking. Why does he suddenly have a phone?" Bex asked dramatically, looking around the little circle we were in.

"It's probably just for security reasons. After you and Zach decided to run off on a mission alone, your mom probably decided that everyone needed to keep an extra eye on you," Macey responded, suddenly looking bored. We all sat for a minute and pondered.

After 1 minute and 27 seconds, I finally said, "You're probably right, Mace. I'm probably just being paranoid."

"Isn't that part of being a spy? Being paranoid?" She arched her left eyebrow. We both cracked a smile as we realized the truth of her words.

"I just..." I sighed and let my head fall back onto the newly fluffed pillow. "I just wish I could do something."

I knew my sisters would know what I was talking about. It was my fault we were in this warehouse instead of the comforting walls of Gallagher, my fault that my mom was worried and stressed out all of the time, and it was my fault we weren't allowed to see the Blackthorne boys again.

"Cam," Liz started, but Bex put a hand on her shoulder and silently told her to let me be. The girls went to their own cots to sleep, and I lied in the bed, allowing my mind to wander.

~ZC~

"Okay, ladies, so today, we will be performing another trust exercise," Mr. Solomon announced as he sat on the corner of his desk. "I hope we will not have any..incidents today." Of course, he looked right at me as he said this.

"Yes, sir," we said in unison. I sighed. I was really starting to get annoyed with announcements being directed mainly at me.

"Good. So now, the mission: to guide your partner through the obstacle course I have set up outside." _What? How is any of this pertaining to our future as spies?_

"Sir, h-"

"Ms. Morgan, you need to know who you can and cannot trust," he replied, as if he were reading my mind. "Now partner up and head outside." I nodded and walked outside with Bex.

"Cammie," Tina called as she ran up to me. "Mr. Solomon wants us to be partners again."

"Why?" Solomon was being so nice the other day after the Tina issue. Why would he put me through that again?

"I don't know. He wants us to bond or something," Tina shrugged. "Are you gonna put the blindfold on or what?" she snapped, holding out the ocean-blue piece of cloth. I sighed and tied the cloth over my eyes. It's better to just put the blindfold on than to listen to her whine the whole time.

Tina began to lead me through the course, surprising me by not letting me run into anything. Of course, she wasn't pleasant about it, but at least I wasn't injured.

"Move!" She jerked me by my right arm. "God, could you be any more stupid?"

"Excuse me?" I huffed. "Out of the two of us, I'm the stupid one?"

"Yeah. You always mess things up. You pretend to be someone's friend, and then you just leave them to fend for themselves."

"What?" I never pretended to be Tina's friend, and I **_definitely_** would never leave her if she really needed help. Sure, she's annoying, but we are sisters, and I would never forget that. "Tina, what are you talking about?" I stopped walking and turned so we were face to face (I think).

"Nothing. Just forget it," she said under her breath. I began to walk, and on my fifth step, I suddenly felt the ground escape from my feet.

"Ahh!" I gave a small shriek as I fell into the unknown substance.

"Oh yeah, watch out. There's a pool of mud in front of you," Tina said unenthusiastically. I got up, tore off my blindfold, and opened my mouth to give her a piece of my mind, but as soon as I did, Mr. Solomon came running out.

"Cameron, what did you do?"

"Me?" I shouted. "She's the one that didn't tell me about the mud pit!"

"It's not her job to aware you of your surroundings. You should do that yourself."

"What? The whole point of the exercise is to rely on your partner to keep you from harm!" I looked at him and silently questioned- pleaded-, "Why are you fighting against me?" He just stared back at me, his eyes cold and distant. "Fine," I exhaled, wiping mud off of my arms, listening to the "slop" sound it made as it slapped the pool of mud. I stomped inside, and ran to the nearest bathroom.

I let the sink run until the water was warm enough and washed the water over the semi-dried mud. _What is going on? Solomon isn't acting like himself. _I liked that he was nice yesterday. I didn't think twice about it, but being a spy, I should have._ Why would he suddenly be nice? All I've done is make his life more complicated. I understand he's trying to play the father role (or some sort of role) in my life, but he's never gone to changing his personality to do it. He's always had a sort of armor on. He would never show that caring side of him like he did yesterday. And today, he's the polar opposite. I'm so stupid. I should've known something was wrong._

"Cammie? Sweetie, are you in here?" I saw my mom walk around the glass barrier. "Oh honey," she whispered, looking at my muddy uniform. "Come on, you can use my shower down the hall." She extended her arm so I could rest my head next to her neck and so she could wrap her arm around my shoulders. We walked to her temporary room and she pointed me to the bathroom. "I'm going to go get your towel, okay?" She kissed me on the forehead before leaving. I got into the shower and let the warm water submerge me. Soon, I heard the door open, and relaxed. Despite my behavior last semester and the situation we're in this semester, my mom never let me feel like I was alone. I smiled to myself as I imagined the horrid dinner she had cooked and imagined the way my face would look as I told her the food was incredible. I chuckled softly and turned off the water. I slipped on the uniform she laid out for me and walked into the main room.

"Hey Mom, what's fo-" I cut myself off as I saw my mother quickly turn around and shove something behind her back.

"Oh, Cam, you scared me. I didn't hear you come in." I felt to urge to furrow my eyebrows as I looked at her, but being a spy, I refrained.

"What were you looking at?" I asked her curiously, as if I didn't think much of it. "Maybe I can help with it."

"Oh, it was nothing. Now what were you going to ask me?" She quickly dismissed whatever she was doing by waving her hand in the open space.

"I just wanted to know what you made for dinner."

"Dinner?" She looked very confused. "Aren't you going to eat with the rest of your classmates?"

"Nooo," I dragged out the word. "It's Friday." **(A/N: Sorry, if I don't remember the right day they have their dinners. I just think it's on Fridays)**

She just looked at me with that confused countenance. "And?" She asked when I didn't say anything else.

"Nothing. That mud must be messing with my mind or something." I pretended as if everything was okay and began to walk out of the room.

"If you want to have dinner, we can," she added before I left.

"No," I smiled in response. "That's okay. I should be getting to the Dining Hall anyways." She nodded and I left. _What is going on?_ I thought to myself as I walked down the halls. Solomon is acting weird, my mom doesn't remember our weekly dinners, and I keep being forced to pair up with Tina. I crawled into my favorite passageway and sat down. I knew one thing for sure; that woman was not my mother.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the short chapter, but i needed to get something out. ive been really lazy. school has been out for 2 weeks and i havent started any new chapters. so i really am sorry and i will try to update more. this is the first time ive been on the computer in a very long time but i hope to be on a lot more frequently, writing new chapters. hope u enjoy

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I walked slowly to the Dining Hall as my mind was processing my scattered thoughts. I sat down with what I assume was a vacant expression on my face, because my friends began to launch their questions almost instantaneously.

"Are you okay?"

"Where have you been?"

"Do you want me to punch Tina for you?"

"Guys, what I really need is some quiet. Actually, I take that back; tell me what happened after I left." I decided that if it was quiet, my mind would conjure up more thoughts, so it was probably best to distract myself for a little while.

"Well, it was really weird. Solomon just shrugged and moved on with class." Macey seemed kind of intrigued by this, which is surprising (it is _**not**_ easy trying to get that girl's attention, believe me).

"Yeah," Bex breathed. "He didn't act anything like what you described to us."

"Maybe you dreamed him being nice or something," Liz suggested. The atmosphere became..awkward, shall we say, when she uttered these words. "Well you never know," she defended. We just shook our heads. I had a small smile. "Okay, you know what? I am really getting tired of you guys treating me like I'm just some stupid Southern Belle!" Liz had recently taken a trip to visit her parents over the break, so her accent was thicker than ever, so my small smile turned into full-on, teeth-flaunting laughter. She just huffed, because we were all laughing and crossed her arms. That was exactly what I needed; a good laugh with the girls.

Once everyone was finished with dinner, I put my serious face back on, and we all headed back to the room early. Normally, Macey would've gone to the library, but after I gave her the "It's urgent" look, and since she knew something was going on, she decided to skip the research for a night. Us four girls entered the room, and immediately, we locked the door and checked for bugs.

"What's going on, Cammie?" Bex asked. I put my fingers to my lips, signaling her to be quiet. I looked at Liz and pointed to her laptop. She picked it up and laid it on my cot. I took a piece of Evapopaper **(A/N: Spelling?)** and wrote her a message and put it in her hands.

_We need to get help. Now._

She quickly put the paper in her mouth and began tapping away on the keyboard. I kept seeing the same words pop onto the screen in bold, capitalized, red letters. ACCESS DENIED. ACCESS DENIED. ACCESS DENIED.

"Cammie, I can't get through. I just," she sighed and leaned back. "I just don't know what to do."

"Liz, I _**need**_ you to do this," I said to her, staring at her solemnly.

"I don't know..." It was obvious that she was frustrated and frantic and confused. Her eyes let on more than she knows. "I can't."

I took Liz's shoulders and faced her towards me. "Look, I know that if there is anyone in this world that can get through that firewall, it's you." She just looked up at me with her big, innocent eyes and nodded. Suddenly, those innocent eyes became powerful, and she turned back to the laptop with a fervent passion. Finally, I saw those beautiful words.

ACCESS GRANTED.

I exhaled and closed my eyes, feeling the smile spread across my face. "I knew you could do it," I whispered, staring at the screen. I pointed to the tab that said "Student Info." Liz quickly clicked on it and began scrolling. I gasped when she stopped scrolling. The list jumped from Gonzales, Eduardo to Gray, Tyler. _Where's Zach?_ I thought.

"You must have the wrong site, Liz," I said shakily, straightening myself.

"Cam, I-" Liz began meekly.

"It's the wrong site." Something was wrong. Why wasn't Zach in the Blackthorne database? It just wasn't possible.

"Okay, obviously something is up," Macey said, entering the conversation. Then, she looked as if something urgent just occurred to her. "I have to go, Cammie." She was already leaving the room.

"Macey!" I yelled, chasing after her. As soon as I ran into the hall I continued, "Where are yo-" Suddenly, I felt a strong arm roughly cover my mouth and the hard body tackle me to the ground. I began using moves I had sworn never to use, but it was of no use. I was slipping away. Slipping into a solemn slumber.

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~ZC~

I was drowsy as I awoke in an old wooden chair in an unfamiliar place. "Ugh," I groaned groggily. I looked down to see that my arms were tied behind me, but I couldn't feel them. The room had an odor that reminded me of burning hair. As I looked around, I noticed I was in a cell.

"Cammie?" I heard a soft voice ask from a distance. I gasped softly. It was the voice I had been waiting months to hear. It was the voice I had longed to hear comfort me. It was Zach.


	4. Chapter 4

Omg has anyone else read Only the Good Spy Young? i got it and read it the day it came out and i am like dying to talk to someone about it cuz i CANNOT stop thinking about it. its like the only one i want to go back to and read again. well anyways, enjoy:) and the reason im not really writing is cuz i think im getting writers block. like when i sit down to write, i dont really have an idea of what i want to happen and the words just arent coming to me. idk, its just a little difficult. and now having read the book, i have a new perspective so idk how thatll change the story

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I gasped. I squinted my eyes to get a better look at him, just to make sure I wasn't imagining him. Shakily, I whispered, "Zach?"

I saw the silhouette of his head turn away from me. I crinkled my eyebrows and whispered his name once again.

"He's not going to answer you, are you Zachy?" a male voice spoke mockingly. Then, the man turned to face me. "Hello again, Cammie." The light hit his face and I saw that it was a familiar face. A familiar face, but I knew he wasn't the ally I know.

I wanted to ask him, "Who are you? Where's the real Joe Solomon?" I wanted to ask, "What do you want with us?", but I suddenly realized something. _That voice, I know it_. With a gasp, I softly said, "Chris."

The corners of his lips turned up into a sinister smile. "You remember me. I'm flattered." He put a palm to his chest in faux surprise. Then, he slowly pulled off the friendly face I knew and revealed the old face I dreaded. _A flesh mask_ I sharply exhaled, chuckling emptily. _That's all it took for him to intrude Gallagher. To invade our walls. A simple flesh mask_. "What's wrong, Cameron?" He asked as he ran a finger along my cheek. He whispered "You don't have to be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you."

I half- laughed. "I am **_not_** afraid of you. And I definitely don't think you could do anything to hurt me. If anyone's going to get hurt, it's **_you_**." I glared deathly at him. "Now where's Mr. Solomon?" Then, more forcefully, I asked, "Where is my mother?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he smiled mockingly as he stroked my cheek for another time. I looked over at Zach, thinking somehow he would break out of the shackles and tackle Chris to the ground. But he just sat there, his face emotionless. Chris followed my gaze and laughed a cruel chuckle. "Your precious Blackthorne Boy can't help you, Cameron." I felt his warm breath in my ear when he whispered, "No one can help you."

"What do you want, Chris?" I seethed, glaring at him as he roughly grabbed my chin so that we were staring deeply into each other's eyes. Don't let the "deeply" part fool you; this gaze was not in any way romantic.

"Oh, it's not what I want," he said slyly, inching towards my face. Right as I felt his breath on my face, a voice from behind me said, "Remember me, 'Marisa'?"

I gasped as my jaw dropped. I tried to speak but the words just wouldn't come out.

"What, is a Gallagher girl too good to talk to me? A lowly Circle agent?" She steps in front of me, and the first thing I see is my mother. But I know that it isn't really her. My 'mom' reaches up to her jaw, and I prepared myself for what I knew would come next. _Sage_. The flesh mask came off and I found myself looking at the girl I had grown so fond of on my mission last semester with Zach. The so called 'enemy' I had befriended. I stare straight into her eyes. For a moment, they looked sad, hurt; but almost instantly they went cold.

"That's not true. You're not one of them," I whispered, trying to tell her that with my eyes, begging her to listen.

"Yes I am. I may have been unsure last time you saw me, but now I am completely sure of my decision." She continued to stare me down with cold, hard eyes.

"It's not what you think, Sage,-"

"Don't call me that!" she screamed. "You don't get to call me that. The only thing you deserve to address me as is Agent 370." I saw tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she looked at the ground and whispered faintly, "I thought you were my friend."

Just as I began to speak, Chris intervened. He put a hand on her shoulder and said, "She was just pretending. Lying to you, like the cold spy she is. She doesn't know what it is to be a friend."

"Stay out of this, Chris," I said sternly, glaring at Chris once again. Using a much gentler tone, I looked at Sage and began, "Sa-," I sighed and corrected myself before beginning again. "Agent 370, I know it seems like I'm the enemy, and that's probably true. Gallagher and the Circle **_are_** enemies, but we aren't. At least, we shouldn't be. I was genuine with you the whole time I was there. Everything I told you about having friends as a spy was true; I live by it every day."

Sage finally looked up. "Then why did you leave me?" she whimpered, her voice as soft as a breath.

"She wanted to take you with us, back to Gallagher. I told her it was too dangerous." Zach finally spoke.

"Don't listen to them," Chris said sharply. "They're lying. It's all they know." Sage's face immediately hardened.

"I know. Chris," she turned to face him, "I can handle this now. You can go." The two exchanged a look. Chris raised his eyebrow as if to say, "Are you sure?" and Sage responded with a firm nod. Chris looked at Zach, then me, and then he left the room. Sage watched him walk to the exit and stared at the door for a second and then turned to look at me.

She just stood there and stared at me. Not coldly, just a stare that wanted to know the truth. Hesitantly, she asked, "Is he telling the truth? Were you going to take me with you?"

"I wanted to, so much. I thought you had so much potential. You reminded me of myself in some ways."

"Really?" Sage's face brightened a little, briefly reminding me of the happy-go-lucky (and slightly ditzy) girl I had grown to love.

"Of course," I replied, smiling.

"What's Gallagher like?" she asked me, her eyes twinkling with wonder.

"Oh, Sage, it's amazing. It-"

"Cam," Zach said in a warning voice. "She's not the same girl you used to know. She's one of them now."

"But she's still Sage," I argued. I looked at Sage. "Tell him."

"I'm still me, 'Alex'," she teased.

"Oh yeah? Then untie us." He stared her down, daring her.

Sage's tone suddenly became serious as she said, "You know I can't do that," saying it as if it had two meanings. She looks back at me and her tone is chipper again when she said, "You know the reasons, right Cam?"

It felt weird, her calling me by my real name. She said it with an almost sinister flair. "Yeah. Can't compromise things," I replied, putting my guard up.

"Exactly," she smiled, giggling and throwing her hair over her shoulder. If there was one thing I did know, it was that Zach was right; Sage was definitely not the same girl I used to know.


	5. Chapter 5

After 3 minutes of convincing, Sage finally left the room, leaving Zach and I alone. We didn't speak to each other right away; he made no effort to start a conversation and neither did I. I just looked at him, staring a bit more than I should be but I couldn't help it. After about a minute, I had an urge to talk to him. I wanted to know how we could go from being so close last year to this.

"So, um, how long have you been here?" That was my sad attempt at starting a conversation. He didn't answer so I assumed he was back to not talking to me. "So you're just going to ignore me now?"

Zach didn't speak in response but he did shake his head, and he did that little half-chuckle thing. For some reason, that just made me angry.

"You're laughing?" I basically yelled at him. "We're stuck in this stupid jail and you're laughing. I haven't seen you or heard from you or anything all summer," I wanted to point my finger at him but seeing as my hands were tied up, I settled for squinting my eyes and added, "And don't use that 'I wasn't allowed to' excuse because I know you could've given me a message or a sign if you wanted to. Do you know how worried I've been? Especially since your name isn't on the Blackthorne database anymore, which I want an explanation for by the way. So despite all of this, please tell me what you could possibly be laughing about?"

Zach just chuckled again. "It's just…you're not that easy to ignore, Gallagher Girl."

"And about everything else?" I retorted. "Are you going to explain any of that?" As predicted, Zach clammed up. I sighed, hating that he wouldn't talk to me. "I bet you didn't even miss me," I mumbled under my breath, pretending to look at everything around me. There was a moment of silence before Zach spoke.

"Didn't you learn anything last year, Cammie?"

"Well I didn't exactly have a lot of time for school, you know," I said.

"You know that's not what I mean."

I looked at my feet. I remembered how we said we loved each other. I remember how close we had gotten. I remember everything.

As if he read my mind, he said, "Exactly." We sat in a silence again, not uncomfortable silence, just silence. Although, as the seconds passed, I did grow restless.

"Isn't there any way we can get out of here?" I sighed, looking around desperately for something-anything-we could use to be free.

"You think I haven't tried anything the entire time I've been here? It's useless." His tone was flat, cold. _My God_, I thought as a realization hit me. _They've broken Zachary Goode._

"There's got to be something we can use. A shard of glass, a bottlecap, something."

"Would you just drop it? There's nothing we can do!" Now there was an uncomfortable silence. Zach's snap had filled the quiet room, and now it was even more still than before.

"There's always something we can do," I whispered, looking in my lap.

Zach huffed. "Look Cam, I'm not exactly in the mood to-"

"Shhh," I interrupted him. "Listen." A moment later, I asked, "Hear that?"

"It's just the air conditioning. I checked that out as soon as I was left alone."

"Oh." A sigh later, I said, "You know, I'm really sick of everything not being what it seems. First Solomon, then my mom, and now the air conditioner. Why can't everything just be what it looks like? I'm sick of being deceived."

"I'm not included in that list, am I?" Zach inquired, only traces of playfulness on his face.

"I thought you went without saying." Ever so slightly, his eyes hardened. _I can see it now, 'I've been nothing but truthful with you Cammie. And when I've lied, it was for your own good'_ "Kidding, Zach." I gave him a small smile.

He shook his head. "You'll never learn will you? Even when I tell you I love you, you still won't accept it." It didn't feel like he was talking to me; it looked like he was reciting his thoughts aloud.

Before I could reply, the door flew open. "How are my favorite lovebirds doing? Getting reacquainted nicely?" Chris' mocking tone was really starting to get on my nerves.

"Just fantastic, actually. Thanks for bringing her to me, by the way. I was missing her terribly." The way Zach spoke, that underlying sarcastic tone, hurt; but if he just admitted to still loving me, then I shouldn't be fazed, right?

Chris kicked Zach in the gut, and Zach's muffled grunt made my wrists grind against their restraints. Chris turned back to me, the dim light hitting his malicious face. "What's that, Cameron? Oh tsk tsk tsk," he slowly made his way over to me. Going behind me and using a childish tone, he said, "You'll break your wrists, and we wouldn't want that, would we?" He tightened the manacles, trapping my hands even more. Tears came to my eyes, but I wouldn't let them fall. Leaning down to my ear, he whispered, "I want to hear you scream." He tightened it even further; my wails caught in my throat. The tears were on the verge of falling. "Come on, 'Gallagher girl,'"

Right as he was about to tighten it again, the door opened and a gunshot sounded. I gasped shakily, wishing there weren't a rivulet of water sliding down my cheeks. I shut my eyes, feeling the pulsing of my heard in my head, the blood desperately trying to circulate. Then, it was over.

"Cammie, Cammie, come on, we have to get out of here," a voice whispered urgently to me. I opened my eyes to see Sage in front of me. With my newly freed hands, I hugged her, fresh tears falling. Then I looked over at Zach, who was still tied up. I ran over to him like a newborn animal, still unsure of her legs.

As I released him, he didn't say much. I looked up at him, but his gaze was set on Sage. When he was free, we stood up and I cleared my throat. "You all right?" he asked. I nodded. "Good."

"I hate to interrupt this touching moment, but we have to get out of here. That was only to stun him, not kill."

Zach shot her an incredulous look, but he knew better than to shout. Instead, he mumbled, "Lead the way," and we followed Sage.

After sneaking our way out, we were led into the sunlight, and I could clearly see the torture Zach had gone through. His face was bruised, and there were slashes on his arms and torso. I brought my hands up to touch them, but, rethinking, I lowered them.

"It's not as bad as it looks." I met his eyes to find them to be soft, glistening. They looked so pure and clean compared to the rest of him.

I didn't say anything, but, using my eyes, I asked him "Are you sure?" He nodded, giving me a soft smile. He gently took my wrist in his callused hand, and pressed it to his chest. Then, he took a look at my wrist, noticing the fresh bruises. I saw his mouth tighten.

"It's not as bad as it looks," I said, using his words, with a shy smile.

Zach's lips turned up, and he shook his head. "Cammie, I-"

"Are you guys going to come in or not?" Sage asked urgently, sitting in the car. Zach and I looked at her, then turned back to each other.

"I don't trust her," he whispered, bringing his face close to mine, letting my hair cover his lips. I guess Sage had learned to read lips, or he was just being cautious. He brought his left hand to my face.

"She's the best we've got right now." I could see the wheels turning in his mind, and I knew he was trying to think of a plan. I put my hand on his cheek, and whispered, "We've got to find my mom and Solomon. They'll know what to do." Hesitantly, he nodded.

I heard Sage huff from the car, so Zach and I made our way to the car.

"I'm driving," Zach announced, going to the driver's side.

"I'm driving, buddy boy," Sage snapped. Turning to me, she winked and said, "This one's got a bit of an alpha male ego, doesn't he?" I chuckled emptily.

"He can drive," I said. Sage looked back and forth between Zach and I.

Then, with a sigh, she got out and said, "Fine, fine. Whatever."

Sage and I sat in the back, while Zach drove. I let her ramble on about beauty products, and the latest runway trends, smiling when I needed to, and staring in awe when I needed to. Occasionally, Zach would glance at me through the rear-view mirror, rolling his eyes at the conversation, but knowing he was still there made me smile. I wanted to kiss him, but I knew that would have to wait. First, we needed to get out of Sage's reach, and find the two closest adults I have.

* * *

I dunno if I'll come back to fanfiction fully, bc I feel like authors don't like it at all, but I thought maybe I can finish this story. However, it's been a long time, and I think I've lost my touch. Also, I've forgotten what my plans were with this story, so we'll just see how it goes


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